I am delighted (in an introvert head-in-sand kind of way) to reveal the cover and blurb of my debut poetry collection Octopus Mind. It can now be pre-ordered from Seren Books! The publication date is 3rd July. And the launch will be on 10th July in Cardiff.
“Octopus Mind plays with an array of rich and original metaphors to explore the intricacies of neurodiversity, perception and the human mind. These poems articulate the desire to understand and be understood by oneself and others in a complex world. They observe the nuances of creativity, art, relationships, and self-expression through the lens of neurodiversity, reflecting on the poet’s experience of being diagnosed with dyspraxia as an adult…” (read more on the Seren website)
I am so so grateful to everyone who has supported and encouraged me to make it this far. The last few months have been incredibly difficult for me in terms of physical health, so it is particularly wonderful to have something like this to look forward to. A massive thank you to Zoe and Rhian, the most caring and thoughtful of editors, and to all those who have provided endorsements: Bernard O’Donoghue, Carrie Etter, Katherine Stansfield, Matthew Francis, Philip Gross, Damian Walford Davies and Richard Marggraf Turley.
I’m also really pleased that we found such an intriguing image to go on the front cover. It is an underwater sculpture created by Jason deCaires Taylor. You can see more of his work here: https://www.underwatersculpture.com/
The Cardiff launch will be on Monday 10th July – details here. See my Events page for details of other upcoming readings both online and in person…
